Kingsclere Day Nursery and Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make a good start to their learning in this very caring and stimulating nursery. They make good progress, overall, throughout their time in nursery. Managers have made considerable improvements since the last inspection. They have taken the time to reflect on the provision and staff's practice, and have brought about positive changes to improve the outcomes for children.

Children are relaxed as they learn to follow routines, and they understand what staff expect of them. For instance, children help to prepare the room for snack and lunch and put their plates away when they have finished. Children behave well, resulting in the nursery having a calm atmosphere.

Children explore the outdoors in all weathers. They learn how to keep themselves safe in different weather, such as by wearing waterproof clothes in the colder and wet weather. Children have a go at dressing themselves and putting on their outside boots. This helps to support their independence skills. Children develop their physical skills as they practise climbing a wooden climbing frame. Staff say, 'Ready, steady, go!' as children zoom down the slide, smiling as they do so. Children confidently throw, catch and bounce balls. They develop their coordination as they carefully walk along the balancing equipment. Younger children enjoy making sounds as they bang instruments and move to music.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• The managers work directly with staff and children, providing good role models. Staff have opportunities to evaluate and discuss their practice and consider how to implement new knowledge. For example, recent training on emotion coaching and early sign language has helped children with managing their feelings. Children now agree on the golden rules and remind each other of these.
• Staff provide a variety of stimulating activities. Children's communication and language skills are supported, for example, as they develop a love of books. During group story times, children take on the roles of different characters as staff read them a familiar story. Children re-enact the story outside with their friends.
• Staff promote children's awareness of numbers and their early mathematical skills well, overall, as they progress through nursery. They take many opportunities to count and sing number songs as, for example, children play with their farm animals or sort toy bears by colour or size. Older children learn to solve simple mathematical problems, for instance, they can identify that if they have two objects, they need one more to make three.
• Parents praise the nursery for its friendly and caring staff. Staff work in partnership with parents to get to know children well. This supports them to meet children's individual needs and preferences. Staff offer ideas for how parents can extend children's learning at home, helping to provide continuity of care and learning.
• A well-established key-person system helps children form secure attachments and promotes their well-being and independence. Staff welcome children when they arrive and show interest in how children are feeling and what they have done over the weekend.
• In the main, the managers and staff sequence children's learning to ensure that they have the skills needed to be ready for future learning. Children are learning about their emotions and enjoy talking with staff about how they feel, which helps support their well-being effectively. Children enjoy joining in with a play dough activity, using rollers to create shapes, and they peel their fruit for snack, helping to develop their smaller physical skills. However, on occasions, staff do not always implement the curriculum during children's play, to build on children's learning experiences consistently and coherently.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to support staff to implement the curriculum to help provide children with learning opportunities during their play that consistently and coherently build on skills.